AVB: Hamburg must improve Rafa bid

The Bundesliga club have vowed to do everything in their power to land Van der Vaart, whose wife Sylvie works in the German city, but their initial offer of around Â£8million falls way short of Tottenham's valuation.

The London club are reported to be holding out for Â£14million for the Holland forward, and Villas-Boas is adamant he will not let the player go on the cheap. He told a press conference: "We have had interest from Hamburg, but an offer of that dimension is not something the player deserves." Tottenham should be respected as a club. (The transfer) doesn't seem to be happening."

Tottenham's customary late foray into the transfer market looks set to swing into action before Friday night's 11pm deadline, with Villas-Boas hoping to land Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho and France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

It appears there will be no last-minute dash for a striker, however, after Jermain Defoe committed his future to the club today by signing a new three-year contract.

Spurs have been strongly linked with Leandro Damiao and Loic Remy, but Villas-Boas will stick to his strikeforce of Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Harry Kane, rather than sanction a bid for another hitman despite erroneous reports the club have also bid for Fernando Llorente.

"There was massive speculation today (linking Spurs) with Remy but it is not the case," Villas-Boas said.

Villas-Boas signed Mousa Dembele from Fulham this week, but he could still sign another midfielder before the window shuts. Moutinho would be a world-class addition to the ranks but he appears to be out of Tottenham's price range. Villas-Boas said: "Porto is an extremely difficult club to deal with. I don't think he is a player we can afford."

A renewed attempt for Shakhtar Donetsk's Willian, who can operate in midfield or attack, is possible but once more Villas-Boas fears the club could be priced out of a deal for the player.

"We had initial contact with Shakhtar, (who) again (are) a club in a position with wealthy owners, (and are) not easy to deal with," Villas-Boas added. "We can't say that it's over but we have approached the club and at the moment it's a deal that doesn't seem to be happening."